Journal 2 September 2026
Free London with children, and the bit nobody mentions about fares
The museums, the playgrounds and the city farms cost nothing. So does getting there, which is usually the largest number on the day.
A day out in London with children is cheaper than almost anyone expects, and the reason is not the attractions. It is the fares.
The fares, first
Under elevens travel free on the tube and the bus with a paying adult, and under fives travel free everywhere on the network. On a day with three or four journeys in it, that is usually the biggest saving available and nobody puts it on a poster.
The museums built for it
The Natural History Museum has the dinosaurs and the earthquake room. The Science Museum has several free floors that work as well as the one thing there you pay for. All of it is covered in the answer on doing London with children for nothing.
Outdoors, and free
The city farms are free and the animals are close enough to touch. The royal parks are free and open until dusk, and St James’s Park has the pelicans.
The rest of what costs nothing is in the guide to free London.
By Angela. Updated 3 September 2026.
More on free london
All 6 piecesEverything in London that costs nothing, and the small print on the things that are free but still need a ticket. The largest single thing this paper covers.
- A whole London evening for nothing View, exhibition, walk and a place to sit, without paying for any of it. London is unusually good at this and hides...
- Free, but you still need a ticket: the London catch A dozen of the best free things in London will turn you away at the door without a booking that costs nothing....
- The free views of London, and which of them need booking Two of the highest viewpoints in the city cost nothing. Both need a ticket you do not pay for, and both run...
Where to go next
Everything above is drawn from the listings, which are dated and rebuilt as things change.